NBA Rumors: LaVine suitor out, AD calls out Lakers, Anthony Edwards to NFL?
- Anthony Edwards has his sights set on NFL stardom next
- Anthony Davis calls out Lakers' poor early-game shooting
- Heat bow out of Zach LaVine trade pursuit
NBA Rumors: Anthony Edwards wants to become first NBA-NFL crossover star
Anthony Edwards grew up as a multi-sport athlete. He was a top RB at one point, but as he told SB Nation's Ricky O'Donnell, he thought basketball looked like more fun.
"I could have been a professional football player. I was really good. I was the No. 1 running back in the country at 9 or 10. I stopped playing because I seen my brothers playing basketball. I thought it looked more fun."
Here is the video proof of Edwards absolutely destroying 10U football.
Edwards turned his focus 100 percent toward basketball in high school and eventually became the top recruit (and No. 1 NBA Draft pick) in the 2019-20 season. He spent one year with the Georgia Bulldogs, his hometown team, before jumping to the pros. The Minnesota Timberwolves selected in the springy swingman and have to feel good about their investment. Right now, the No. 1 seed Wolves are riding an MVP-like season from Edwards, who is averaging 26.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists on .467/.389/.847 splits.
It's clear Edwards can and will be successful in professional basketball, he still dreams of football — and maybe one day playing in the NFL.
"I think I might be the first one [to play in the NBA and NFL]," he told Marco Summers on the 'Open Thoughts' podcast.
Edwards went on to clarify that his NBA success still comes first.
"As a team, Minnesota organization, we want to win a championship. After that, we'll figure that out."
It's hard to imagine Edwards (or any player) taking the financial risk inherent in switching sports. He hasn't focused full-time on football in a decade, so there's no guarantee an NFL team would even want Edwards.
That said, freakish 6-foot-5 athletes of Edwards' caliber aren't all that common in NFL circles. There's a reason LeBron James has always teased his tight end upside and we all believed him. It's hard to imagine Edwards' strength, speed, coordination and hops not translating to something in the football sphere, even at the very highest level.
The Wolves don't have to panic about Edwards jumping ship any time soon, but maybe if he wins a championship and becomes satisfied later in his NBA career, Edwards starts to explore the feasibility of NFL stardom.